Novak Djokovic met Roger Federer on Sunday at Wimbledon and he used the chance to tell the Swiss that he is rooting to see him back in action. Federer, who is set to turn 41 next month, has been out since undergoing a knee surgery last August.
Federer hasn’t really played much over the last two and a half years due to knee problems but he is expected to return to action at the Laver Cup in September. “I told him he is loved by so many people, that he’s been greeted very nicely, and that he needs to come back so we can play at least one more time – like he said it himself.
We’ve all seen how special it was when he entered the Centre Court. Everyone was on their feet, everyone showed their love and respect towards him – and he really is a legend in every aspect. Of course, he’s been one of my biggest rivals in my career and it’s been weird not seeing him participating in tournaments.
He’s been struggling with injuries for the past few years and played only a couple of tournaments – and like he said, it was unusual seeing him here at Wimbledon in a different role. I think it’s very important for the sport that players like him play as much as they can, because it brings a lot of attention and benefits all of us,” Djokovic explained.
Djokovic beat Federer in a thriller 2019 Wimbledon final
On Sunday, Wimbledon icons and former champions were recognized.
One of the players that participated in a special ceremony was record eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer. In 2019, Federer just fell short of winning his ninth Wimbledon title. In the fifth set of his final versus Djokovic, Federer had two championship points on his serve but failed to close out the match as Djokovic won a thriller final. During the ceremony, Federer expressed his hope to return to Wimbledon as a player for at least one more time.
